Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Another week has gone by and it has turned out to be a good one. I'll start with the fact that my sciatica pain is nonexistent. As the days passed, it slowly got less painful and is now completely gone. I don't know if it'll be back but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Some accomplishments this week are all centred in the nursery. The lil' bean's room is painted and furnished. Originally the walls were supposed to be a tan colour but at the last minute Paul decided that he wanted to make them green & blue. It wasn't such a big deal to me so I agreed. It actually looks pretty cute. As for the furniture, we had the crib in it's box but the dresser was giving us problems. It seems Babies R Us didn't really know what was going on and kept promising things and wouldn't follow through. I got tired of the run around and spent some time finding out which location had the dresser in the store. So after about 2 months of broken promises and waiting, I found the dresser at the Oakville store. Hurray! It came in one piece so that was the easiest to set up. Paul then spent the rest of the weekend putting together the crib and bassinet. The finishing touches included the blinds and the rug. We still need to get a rod for the curtains and Paul needs to install the new doors. But all in all, it's looking real well.Since Paul & I are movie people, we decided to spend our last long weekend sans baby at the drive-in. We invited some friends and had a great time. We were a little late getting there so when we pulled into the queue and saw that the screen we wanted was sold out, we were a little disappointed. Our friends were already inside and we had to decide if we were going to see one of the other two screens. As we pulled up to the booth, the lady told us she could sell us tickets for the one we originally wanted but if we didn't get a good spot, she couldn't give us a refund. We agreed and ended up parking behind our friends. The first movie playing was Shrek The Final Chapter, and after that a lot of families left and we ended up moving into a great spot. The second movie was Iron Man 2 which I didn't really like. It was a little boring and I did fall asleep through some parts of it. The third movie was She's Out of Your League. I thought it was going to suck but it turned out to be somewhat funny. Definitely worth a rental but not much else. And the last movie was Shutter Island. I saw the first 20 minutes and then fell asleep. It piqued my interest so I'm probably going to rent it. All in all I had a great time.

I saw my midwife this past week and things are still looking good. I met one of the midwifery students who will probably be involved in the rest of my pregnancy. She seems nice but you could tell she was a little nervous. I'm sure as time goes on she'll become a little more comfortable with things. She's not solely responsible for any of the important things and will only be a spectator during labour & delivery. As per the discussion we had the last visit, I had my GBS swab done. I'm aiming for no IV so hopefully the test will come back negative. I should know when I see my midwife again next week.

And since I'm getting closer to my due date, I've finally picked out an outfit for the lil' bean to come home from the hospital with. I was trying to find something cute but everything I liked was more that $40 and that just wasn't acceptable. So I ended up with a long sleeved diaper shirt, cotton pants, socks and shoes. The shirt is white with two yellow giraffes on it. The pants are a light yellow. The socks are white and the shoes are white and blue. I have yet to pick out a hat but I'm sure I'll get some for my baby shower.Now at 37 weeks my lil' bean is full term and will probably not need to spend any time in the NICU. He is fully developed and is still only gaining weight. Right now he should weigh a little over 6 pounds and is about the length of a stalk of Swiss chard, which is approximately 19 inches long. It's hard to stay patient but I know my lil' bean will be here soon enough.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

So I'm in my last month and it really hasn't been too bad. I've heard of women feeling sick and moody throughout their entire pregnancy and I have been lucky enough not to be one of them. I've had my share of aches and pains, but for the most part I've felt great. This past week has been one of those not so good weeks. I've been experiencing sciatica pains for the later half of the day, almost every day. I can't remember exactly what set it off, but I've been trying to take it easy. With each day that passes the pain seems to be less and less so I'm hoping it won't be with me for the rest of my pregnancy.

There has been another type of pain that has started this week as well. A pain in the ass that was unavoidable...street construction. The city has resumed it's sewer and water main replacement and I don't like it at all. But I suppose I can look on the bright side and remember that the sooner they get this over and done with, the sooner I get my backyard back. They aren't ripping apart anything else on our property so the noise isn't as bad as it was last summer, but it's the dust that's getting to me. It's all over my car and the window screens on the house. I like leaving the windows open at night but if I don't remember to close them before I go to bed, the dust travels into the house and then I've got extra cleaning to do. Not fun.

Since I don't like to dwell on the negative, I'll move onto a positive thing that happened this week. I finally got my car fixed. Well to be more accurate, I got it re-fixed. I'd had an accident a few years ago and the used bumper the body shop put on the car was red. It was painted blue but because the paint didn't stick very well, over time it started to peel. The work was guaranteed by the shop and the insurance so, since I've decided to sell the car I had to get it fixed. Well, I picked up the car on Monday and it looks great. All it needs now is a good cleaning inside and out and it'll be ready to sell.

As my lil' bean's birthday approaches, I decided it was time to get moving on the whole cloth diaper thing. Paul & I were up for trying it out and so I finally put in an order for our starter kit. We ordered them from Babywear Boutique and were able to pick them up on Saturday. Steph was such a great help and very patient with all our questions. If you're in the Halton region and what to try cloth diapering I suggest getting in contact with her. We're using Bummies prefolds and covers for now and they are too cute. We also ordered a BabyHawk carrier which still hasn't come in but I'm sure it won't be much longer.

After picking up our diapers, Paul & I were off to Home Depot to pick up some important items for the nursery. Originally it was just paint but after spending some time in the store we left with paint, a rug, and a new light fixture shaped as a plane. The plane thing was all Paul's idea but now that it's up, I love it. I haven't taken any pictures yet but I promise to have some soon. So as of now our nursery is an empty room with a painted ceiling and a new light fixture. At least we're getting somewhere! And I'm sure it'll be done soon considering Paul's soooo excited about this lil' bean. And of course while Paul was working hard, I was catching up on my reading. No more pregnancy books though. I've had enough of those and have graduated to breastfeeding books. Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding to be exact. I'd first heard of Dr. Newman on PregTASTIC and found his views on breastfeeding refreshing. I'd always known that breast milk was best but I had no idea that there was such a bonding experience that takes place between mom and baby. And to top it off, Dr. Newman was homegrown in the GTA. He worked as a paediatrician at the Hospital for Sick Children (among others), and is now a leading lactation expert working out of Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute based at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto. He's got a great website you should check out. I'm only a few chapters in but I can see how passionate he is about breastfeeding and I like it!And finally, my lil' bean is quickly sprouting. He should weigh about 6 pounds which is as much as a crenshaw melon, and is longer than 18.5 inches long. He is still shedding lanugo and is loosing some of the vernix that covers his skin. These will build up in his intestines to produce meconium. Other than that this lil' guy is almost done baking!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Time is really flying now. I can't believe my lil' guy will be here so soon. I'm not scared or worried, but I am curious about the whole labour and delivery thing. Sometimes I try to picture what it will be like and the first thought that comes to mind is me breathing like mad, in some awkward position, trying to alleviate the worst pain I've ever felt. And that might not be too far from the truth but it sure is kinda funny to me...for now.

I've got 3 more weeks left of work but I'm not the only one counting down the days. Gail works the day shift and unfortunately she's going on short term disability a week after me because of some surgery she's got to have. Patricia will be her replacement for the 6 - 8 weeks she'll be off. Pat's been with the company for a number of years and knows how to QC but she's been working on the floor at our warehouse for more than a year now. And since she's been gone we've changed how things are done. So she started her training this week and will be working with Gail until she's off. Which is great for Gail because she's having a hard time moving around. Extra help is always appreciated.

This week I saw the midwife again. There was a few routine things we discussed and then she checked my vitals. Blood pressure is still low, my iron levels are good and she took a look at my swelling feet. Although I wasn't worried about it, she did put Paul at ease. He was starting to get worried because they had begun to swell a lot some days. She informed him that this late in pregnancy it was very normal for feet to swell, especially since I worked on my feet. She said that keeping them elevated as much as possible and a massage at the end of the day would do some good to keep the blood circulating. After that she checked on our lil' bean and surprise, surprise...he's still head down, in the same position he's been in for the last two months. His heart rate is good and my fundal height is still normal.

Saturday was our last birthing class and I can officially say that it was a waste of time & money. I should have taken the class as soon as I was out of my first trimester and maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed. All the stuff we learned, I had already read about. We didn't cover anything different and to make matters worse, she didn't do anything more than just slightly touch on each topic. The only exception was labour and delivery, and even then there wasn't too much info. She never elaborated on the different positions a woman could choose to labour and deliver, and it seemed she was always under the assumption that we were all seeing OBGYN's. Anyways, I'm glad it's over and I can go back to my usual Saturday morning routine...sleeping!

Sunday was mothers day and thanks to Paul I was able to unofficially celebrate it. I wasn't expecting anything and he did surprise me with a pair of earrings. Diamond butterfly studs to be exact. They are beautiful and I have yet to take them off. As for celebrating with my mom, my sister and I took her out for breakfast. We originally wanted to go to the Pancake Factory but when we got there, the line was out the door. Their pancakes are good, but not that good! So we settled on Angel's and decided to go back for pancakes another day.

To finish off the weekend, Paul started moving all his office stuff downstairs. He's got 95% of it down there and it seems to be all organized. This now means we have half a nursery, yay! Hopefully my office will be moved downstairs next weekend and we can start on having a full room for the baby.Speaking of which, he now weighs as much as a honeydew melon, about 5.25 pounds. His length is over 18 inches and still growing. His kidneys are complete and his liver is processing waste. His fingernails now reach the tip of his fingers and most of his development is complete. He will spend the rest of his time gaining weight. It is getting kinda snug in there so he has stopped his summersaults but hasn't stopped moving. I can feel him stretch his arms, legs and turn his head. I'm enjoying every moment of it too!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Holy Shit! I'm 34 weeks into my pregnancy and time is not standing still. My lil' bean will soon be here and there's still so much to do. But not to worry...I'm not stressed out and it's unbelievable sometimes. I know some women would have everything done by now and I have practically nothing. Oh well. This lil' guy will have what he needs. Food, clean diapers, two loving parents and a place to lay his head when he needs to sleep. Anything other than that will just be extra. Nice extras, but I think we'll be OK for now. As for what's been happening this week, Paul & I met with Jody. We reviewed my revised birth plan and went through the breathing techniques, positions for labour, and initial breastfeeding holds. There's a lot of information to absorb so I've got to make some time to review all of this before my lil' bean decides to show up.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I had to go to bed early on Friday so I could be in Guelph for my birthing class. We had to do the 7 hour classes because we work afternoons and couldn't make the evening classes. It was a long day and to top it off, I didn't learn anything new. We covered things like the growth of the baby, nutrition, the anatomy of the placenta and things that could go wrong during pregnancy. And although I new all about this stuff, there's one thing that this class did teach me. Keep your feet up when you sit!

For the last couple weeks I've experienced swelling in my feet, but nothing like Saturday. We had breaks every couple of hours and an hour for lunch but nothing helped. By the end of the day my feet were twice their normal size and I could barley keep my shoes on. I did nothing else that night in hopes that my feet would deflate, but no such luck. It wasn't until Sunday morning that they started looking like my normal tootsies. I got up and went to church but by the time I got back, poof...they were swollen again. And on goes the cycle. I get up with normal feet, and by the end of the day they look like potatoes. Tater toes is what I call them, but it's just plain ugly. Kankles do not look good on me!

On the bathroom front, I think we've picked out a bathtub. We've decided to take it one feature at a time and since the tub is going to be the big ticket item, we're working on that first. It's nothing too fancy, but does have two features that I'm not going to give up, even if we decide on a different model. It's deep enough so the water will come up to your shoulders, and it's got air jets for a therapeutic massage. We haven't bought it yet, and we'll probably look around some more but we really like this one.Well, my lil' bean is now weighing in at 4.75 pounds and is 18 inches long. His weight is comparable to a cantaloupe. His central nervous system and his lungs continue to mature while his skin is filling out nicely. He is developing his own immunity to fight infections and his skeleton is hardening. If he were to be born now, there would only be a short stay in the NICU and he would most likely develop as well as a full term baby. But lets hope my lil' bean isn't done baking just yet. Only 6 more weeks to go.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

So this week was not too entertaining. I suppose I'll start with my visit to the midwife. I saw Cindy again and had some great conversations with her. We went through the GBS screening and she left me with a handout so I could make a decision on wether or not to have the test done. My vitals are good and the best news is that my fundal height is normal, measuring 33 weeks. She took some blood to test for anemia. I don't think there will be a problem since I'm not showing any signs of it. I should have results when I go back in 2 weeks.

I'm getting really close to having the room for the new office empty. There's a few items that Paul needs to put in the shed so I can finish with it. Then after that I'll be able to start emptying the baby room. I know it's getting down to the wire but what can I say? The lil' bean's not sleeping in his own room for the first little while so I've been procrastinating.

And while I've been pacing myself, Paul's been super busy with the upstairs bathroom. It was original to the house and I can happily say it no longer exists. All the fixtures are gone and the guest room closet is now part of the bathroom. We still need to change the plumbing and electrical and then we can start putting it back together. There's a lot of work still left to be done but Paul's been working on it every night and we've got my father-in-law's help almost every weekend. It just sucks having to go downstairs in the middle of the night to use the toilette!Paul & I went shopping over the weekend and something unusual happened. He came home with a bunch of stuff and I came home with nothing. And the oddest thing about it is that he bought a pair of running shoes. I know that doesn't sound too unusual but Paul hasn't owned a pair of running shoes in years. I've tried to tell him that they are good to have around but he's never listened...until now. He even brought his dress shoes when we went camping last year. But anyways, he is now the proud owner of sneaks with skulls on them.And since one good turn doesn't always deserve another, I'm sad to say that my car was violated over the weekend. When my father-in-law showed up Sunday morning he was surprised to find my driver side door open. I'm sure I had accidentally left the car unlocked and someone had gone through my stuff overnight. Luckily, this isn't the first time my car has been broken into and I know better than to leave valuables in there. So whoever thought they'd find something was dead wrong. There was nothing missing and nothing broken. The best outcome for the situation. And then life goes on.

This week my lil' bean weighs about as much as a pineapple, a little over 4 pounds, and is just over 19 inches long. He can listen, feel and see and is still gaining fat. He isn't changing much except for his size and will soon be in my arms. Only 7 more weeks to go.

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About Me

I'm a working mom of two imaginative, affectionate, talkative, absolutely wonderful kids who always seem to amaze me.
There's a constant balancing act between work and home that I'm sure I will never master but...I try to live in the moment and remember that life is what you make of it.